


Nothing's Gonna Harm You

by Senket



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Sweeney Todd - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-07
Updated: 2011-03-07
Packaged: 2017-11-15 15:09:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/528602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Senket/pseuds/Senket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p> In response to<a href="http://sherlockbbc-fic.livejournal.com/6487.html?thread=32686935#t32686935"> this prompt</a> in Part XII of the kinkmeme: <em>Sherlock/John, the song 'Not While I'm Around' from Sweeney Todd?  Do as you will with it-horror, fluff, angst, porn, it's all fine.   </em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing's Gonna Harm You

"Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around." At first Sherlock is surprised. He knows John can sing, but the man typically only will after several rounds, giggling and leaning against furniture. He's never sounded this nice, voice pitched low and soft. There's an underlying tremor that sounds more like bad support than vibrato. He turns.

"Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around." John looks pale, his hands tense at his sides. There's something odd in the way he's standing, eyes focused on Sherlock's long neck.

"Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays." It's clear there's something wrong. He steps towards John, glancing up the grey walls enclosing the alley they're standing in. He'd been inspecting the dirt scrubbed across the unsteady fire-escape ladder when John had started singing, but he'd thought the other man had been behind him the whole time- no one was standing at the mouth of the alley, nothing usual seemed to be going on in any of the windows.

"I'll send 'em howling, I don't care, I've got ways." The emphasis on the words is a little wrong for the song, and- Oh no. Oh, he hadn't dared. Hadn't _dared_ touch his John, not with Sherlock so _close_ , damnit, he hadn't!

John sucks in a deep breath, lids fluttering as he tries to think before he starts singing again. His voice is getting unsteady, choked with emotion. It sounds like rage from where Sherlock is standing. "No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle I'll be there."

Like he hates Moriarty for forcing out these words, a mockery of whispered promises in dark, private rooms- words sung from a boy to his mistress, a song she parrots back so callously with the intention to slice him, silence her dark little secret.

Making John into an innocent child to be slain by the cold-hearted monster slumbering behind Sherlock's careless facade.

"Am I the monster, _Jim_?" He sounds vicious even in his own head, spotting the sound-piece snug in John's ear as he stalks forward.

("Demons will charm you with a smile, for a while," John answers, knuckles white as his hands fist.)

"Feeding death for my own needs? Then that makes you, what, the man I lust for? A little desperate, aren't you? Or are you being more straight-forward then that- the man who destroys life after life just for a little revenge. Don't pretend your lost wife and child have driven you mad, _Moriarty_ , you're just a poor, bored bastard, upset because mommy never loved you."

"But in time," John sings, the end of the note faltering- "nothing will harm you."

"Not while I'm around," he finishes, that with a little smirk, and Sherlock can only blink in surprise when something explodes, loud enough that they can hear but nowhere near them.

He laughs when he throws his arms around John, and the doctor chuckles in reply, running his fingers up Sherlock's arms. "What do you think, should I be an actor?"

"We'll see about your singing, first," Sherlock says, pressing the other man against the wall.


End file.
